Regulation of Irregular Neuronal Firing by Autaptic Transmission

The importance of self-feedback autaptic transmission in modulating spike-time irregularity is still poorly understood. By using a biophysical model that incorporates autaptic coupling, we here show that self-innervation of neurons participates in the modulation of irregular neuronal firing, primarily by regulating the occurrence frequency of burst firing. In particular, we find that both excitatory and electrical autapses increase the occurrence of burst firing, thus reducing neuronal firing regularity. In contrast, inhibitory autapses suppress burst firing and therefore tend to improve the regularity of neuronal firing. Importantly, we show that these findings are independent of the firing properties of individual neurons, and as such can be observed for neurons operating in different modes. Our results provide an insightful mechanistic understanding of how different types of autapses shape irregular firing at the single-neuron level, and they highlight the functional importance of autaptic self-innervation in taming and modulating neurodynamics.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure

Angle-Aware and Tone-Aware Luminosity Analysis for Paper Model Surface

Luminosity contributes to the paper model surface perception. It has a significant impact on the perception of colour and details. The main purpose of this paper is to study the reflection luminosity of paper model surface which can be of complex or difficult shape surface. The final perception quality of a product, whether it is plain or 3D or other different shape, depends on the surface luminosity perceived by the receptor, such as eyes or measurement instruments. However, the number of parameters and limits of the paper model surface are enormous. It is a time-consuming work to select every parameter by a trial-and-error procedure. For a paper surface under the fixed lighting environment, the most important factors to decide the performance of perception are commonly viewing angles and surface tone. Therefore, the two related terms, perception angle and surface tone, were chosen to work in the analysis process. The final analysis, based on the initial conditions, enabled to predict the perception of paper model surface and to set the optimal perceived angels and tones. It still proposed the next step to model the perception of paper model surface of different shapes in a relatively short period

Luminance Prediction of Paper Model Surface Based on Non-Contact Measurement

The overall appearance perception is affected by luminance perception accuracy and efficiency mostly. The surface luminance prediction correlated with surface angle and surface tone value was performed by measuring and modeling the paper model surface luminance. First, we used a rotating bracket designed to facilitate to set the paper surface angle. Then, we set the surface angle from 5° to 85° at the interval of 5° using the designed rotating bracket. Additionally, the four primary color scales, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, were printed and set at the designed angle. The angle-ware and tone-ware luminance was measured using spectroradiometer, CS-2000. Finally, we proposed and evaluated a mathematical model to reveal the relationship between luminance and surface angle and surface tone using the least squares method. The results indicated that the surface luminance of paper model could be predicted and obtained quickly and accurately for any surface angles and surface tone values by the proposed prediction model

Large‐scale changes in macrobenthic biodiversity driven by mangrove afforestation

1. Large- scale anthropogenic mangroves have been constructed in coastal regions worldwide but our understanding of their ecological effects is limited. In particu-lar, the question of whether and how anthropogenic mangroves influence biodi-versity patterns remains elusive.2. Here, we investigated the influence of large-scale anthropogenic mangroves on biodiversity patterns of mangrove macrobenthos. Specifically, we measure and seek to explain differences in species richness, abundance, assemblage composi-tion and distance-decay effect before and after the construction of anthropo-genic mangroves.3. We surveyed assemblages of gastropod, bivalve and crab species over a wide latitudinal extent (24–28°N) in subtropical China. For each, we calculated species richness, abundance, assemblage composition and distance-decay relationship before and after the construction of anthropogenic mangroves.4. After the large-scale anthropogenic mangroves, we found species richness of gas-tropods, bivalves and crabs increased by 23.81%, 100% and 20%, respectively. The distance-decay effects of gastropods and bivalves decreased by 25% and 91.43%, while that of crabs remained virtually unchanged, which mediated by in-creased dispersal rate of macrobenthos. With mangrove plantation, compositional similarity of crab and bivalve assemblages increased by 28.57% and 38.46%, sug-gesting that large-scale monospecific planting exacerbate biotic homogenization. Altogether, these results indicate that large-scale anthropogenic habitats increase the diversity of mangrove macrobenthos and change taxonomic compositions by reducing distance-decay effects and increasing dispersal rate of macrobenthos.5. Synthesis and applications. We emphasize that afforestation of coastal wetlands can drive major changes in benthonic communities. Monitoring and assessing the ecological effects of the anthropogenic habitats for the presence of functional faunas will be important in determining the future coastal restoration and main-taining economic aquaculture. Quantifying those effects in terms of regional bio-diversity composition will contribute to the management of coastal restoration to be based upon macroevidence rather than a one-sided local perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

PtdIns (3,4,5) P3 Recruitment of Myo10 Is Essential for Axon Development

Myosin X (Myo10) with pleckstrin homology (PH) domains is a motor protein acting in filopodium initiation and extension. However, its potential role has not been fully understood, especially in neuronal development. In the present study the preferential accumulation of Myo10 in axon tips has been revealed in primary culture of hippocampal neurons with the aid of immunofluorescence from anti-Myo10 antibody in combination with anti-Tuj1 antibody as specific marker. Knocking down Myo10 gene transcription impaired outgrowth of axon with loss of Tau-1-positive phenotype. Interestingly, inhibition of actin polymerization by cytochalasin D rescued the defect of axon outgrowth. Furthermore, ectopic expression of Myo10 with enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) labeled Myo10 mutants induced multiple axon-like neurites in a motor-independent way. Mechanism studies demonstrated that the recruitment of Myo10 through its PH domain to phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PtdIns (3,4,5) P3) was essential for axon formation. In addition, in vivo studies confirmed that Myo10 was required for neuronal morphological transition during radial neuronal migration in the developmental neocortex

Oxygen enrichment protects against intestinal damage and gut microbiota disturbance in rats exposed to acute high-altitude hypoxia

Acute high-altitude hypoxia can lead to intestinal damage and changes in gut microbiota. Sustained and reliable oxygen enrichment can resist hypoxic damage at high altitude to a certain extent. However, it remains unclear whether oxygen enrichment can protect against gut damage and changes in intestinal flora caused by acute altitude hypoxia. For this study, eighteen male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into three groups, control (NN), hypobaric hypoxic (HH), and oxygen-enriched (HO). The NN group was raised under normobaric normoxia, whereas the HH group was placed in a hypobaric hypoxic chamber simulating 7,000 m for 3 days. The HO group was exposed to oxygen-enriched air in the same hypobaric hypoxic chamber as the HH group for 12 h daily. Our findings indicate that an acute HH environment caused a fracture of the crypt structure, loss of epithelial cells, and reduction in goblet cells. Additionally, the structure and diversity of bacteria decreased in richness and evenness. The species composition at Phylum and Genus level was characterized by a higher ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroides and an increased abundance of Lactobacillus with the abundance of Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group decreased in the HH group. Interestingly, after oxygen enrichment intervention, the intestinal injury was significantly restrained. This was confirmed by an increase in the crypt depth, intact epithelial cell morphology, increased relative density of goblet cells, and higher evenness and richness of the gut microbiota, Bacteroidetes and Prevotellaceae as the main microbiota in the HO group. Finally, functional analysis showed significant differences between the different groups with respect to different metabolic pathways, including Amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and metabolism. In conclusion, this study verifies, for the first time, the positive effects of oxygen enrichment on gut structure and microbiota in animals experiencing acute hypobaric hypoxia

Role of Probiotics in Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children: A Short-Term Pilot Project

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens causing community-acquired pneumonia in children. Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) can be successfully treated with azithromycin; however, antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common adverse effect. Increasing evidence suggests that some probiotics may prevent the development of AAD. The present study determined the effects of probiotics (live Clostridium butyricum plus Bifidobacterium infantis) on the prevention and treatment of AAD in children with MPP when co-administered with intravenous azithromycin. Fifty-five children with MPP were enrolled and received azithromycin (10 mg/kg/day; once daily for 7 days) combined with probiotics (starting on the third day of azithromycin treatment; 1,500 mg three times daily); 50 healthy children served as controls. At the end of the trial, the incidence of AAD, fecal microbiota, intestinal mucosal barriers, and systemic inflammation were analyzed using recommended systems biology techniques. No cases of AAD or other adverse events occurred in children with MPP after co-administration of probiotics with azithromycin. A live C. butyricum plus B. infantis preparation partly reconstructed the gut microbiota, especially restoration of bacterial diversity. The indicators of intestinal mucosal barrier function, such as D-lactate, endotoxin, and diamine oxidase, were significantly improved and the systemic inflammation (interleukin 10) was attenuated after probiotic therapy. The present study indicated that co-administration of probiotics with azithromycin is a promising therapy for MPP treatment which could prevent and treat AAD effectively

Estimation of mechanics parameters of rock in consideration of confining pressure using monitoring while drilling data

During the drilling process, high-strength rock can lead to various issues such as drilling suppression, bit wear, and increased operational costs. To ensure safe and efficient drilling operations, it is crucial to accurately predict the strength parameters of the rock and recommend modifications to operational procedures. This paper proposes a low-cost and fast measurement method for predicting the strength parameters of rock in the field. To evaluate the effectiveness of this method, a drilling process monitoring experiment was conducted on sandstone, limestone, and granite. The experiment studied the effect of confining pressure on the response of cutting with an impregnated diamond bit. By analyzing the relationship between the thrust force, torque force, and penetration depth under different confining pressures, the researchers developed an analytical model for drilling that considers confining pressure, compressed crushed zone, and bit geometry. The results show that the confining pressure has a significant effect on the cutting response. As the confining pressure increases, the thrust force, torque force, and penetration depth at the cutting point also increase. Furthermore, a new measurement method was proposed to determine the strength parameters, such as cohesion, internal friction angle, and unconfined compressive strength. The estimated strength parameters for the three rock types using the drilling method were in good agreement with those of the standard laboratory test, with an error range of 10%. This method of estimating rock strength parameters is a practical tool for engineers. It can continuously and quickly obtain the drilling parameters of in-situ rocks

Effects of microtopographic patterns on plant growth and soil improvement in coastal wetlands of the Yellow River Delta

IntroductionTo clarify the effects of microtopography on plant growth and soil water, salt and nutrient characteristics of saline soils in mudflats within muddy coastal zones and explore suitable microtopographic modifications.MethodsSix microtopographic modification patterns, namely, S-shaped, stripe-shaped, pin-shaped, stepshaped, dense stripe-shaped and crescent-shaped patterns, were established in the coastal mudflats of the Yellow River Delta. The soil water, salt, ion, total carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus contents and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics were measured and analyzed after theimplementation of different microtopographic modification patterns, with bare mudflats as the control.ResultsThe results showed that microtopographic modification significantly changed the soil water and salt contents and the soil total carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents. Compared with the bare ground, microtopographic transformation significantly promoted the growth of the pioneer plant Suaeda salsa, significantly increased the soil water and nutrient contents, and significantly decreased the soil salinity. The soil salinity was mainly reduced by Na+ and Cl- ions. The soil salinity and nutrient contents gradually decreased with increasing soil depth, indicating the occurrence of surface aggregation. Compared to that of the bare ground, the soil C/N was significantly lower and the N/P was significantly higher in the microtopographic treatments, and the overall performance suggested soil N limitation. The ions contained in the saline soil were dominated by Na+ and Cl-, followed by Mg2+ and SO42-, with lower contents of K+, Ca2+ and HCO3-. Among the six microtopography modification patterns, the crescent-shaped pattern best promoted vegetation restoration. This pattern was the most effective in reducing soil salinity, with a 98.53% reduction in soil salinity compared with that of bare ground, followed by the pin-shaped pattern. Compared with that in the bare ground samples, the nutrient content in the samples from the step-shaped modification increased by 23.27%; finally, the S-shaped, step-shaped and dense stripe-shaped patterns performed poorly in terms of plant restoration and soil improvement.DiscussionIt is suggested that a crescent-shaped pattern should be considered first when carrying out microtopographic transformation on the beaches of the Yellow River Delta, followed by stripe-shaped and pin-shaped patterns. The dense strip-shaped should not be adopted